UNESCO names actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya goodwill ambassador

Popular Iranian actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya has been picked as Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health by Iranian Psychiatric Association and Iran’s UNESCO Chair in Health Education.

Maryam Rasoulian, an official at Iranian Psychiatric Association, said the decision to select the actress as an ambassador was made to draw the public attention to the main issue of mental health.

She also noted that the mental health of people has highly been affected by the drastic changes in social and economic situations of families during the days of battling with the COVID-19, and that more care and attention is required.

“To achieve a creative and happy society, the mental health of people and the policymakers has been of high importance,” she added.

Motamed-Arya will act as the ambassador for two years.

In a message released on her Instagram page to commemorate Iran’s National Health Week, which was held on April 20-26, she wished both the Iranian and world medical staff good health, calling them the health heroes.

Born in 1962, Motamed-Arya is a graduate of the Tehran Art Academy.

In 1974, she attended music, painting, directing, theater, and puppetry classes held by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults and later began performing in plays and puppet shows for children across the country.

Her first work for television was in the puppet show ‘School of Mice’ in 1982. She made her cinematic debut with ‘Struggle’ in 1986.

She later joined Iraj Tahmasb and Hamid Jebeli to become one of the most successful acting trios in the nation, collaborating on blockbusters such as ‘Red Cap and Cousin’, ‘Once Upon A Time’, ‘The Pastry Girl’, ‘Red Cap and Sarvenaz’, ‘Here, Without Me’ and ‘Stories’.

She was nominated for Fajr Festival Crystal Simorghs for Best Actress for ‘Robab’s Dowry’, ‘Reyhaneh’, ‘Blue Scarf’, ‘Love +2’ and ‘Gilaneh’.

She has won many awards, including the Golden Tablet at the Fajr International Film Festival for ‘Wasteland’ in 1989, the Crystal Simorgh at the Fajr International Film Festival for ‘Passengers’ in 1992, the Crystal Simorgh at Fajr International Film Festival for ‘Once And For All’ in 1993, and the Crystal Simorgh at Fajr International Film Festival for ‘Spouse’ in 1994.

MG/AG